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Links Between Preeclampsia and Later Retinal Disease Examined

Risk was higher for severe and early-onset preeclampsia versus mild or late-onset disease

HealthDay News — Preeclampsia is associated with increased risk of maternal retinal disease, especially traction detachments, retinal breaks, and diabetic retinopathy, according to a study published in the January issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

Nathalie Auger, MD, from the University of Montreal Hospital Research Center, and colleagues conducted a longitudinal cohort study of 1,108,541 women who delivered neonates between 1989 and 2013. Women were tracked for later hospitalizations through March 2014. The authors examined the correlation between preeclampsia, which was measured at delivery and categorized by severity and onset, and retinal disease.

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The researchers found that women with preeclampsia had a higher incidence of hospitalization for retinal detachment, retinopathy, and other retinal disorders compared to those with no preeclampsia. The strongest associations were seen for preeclampsia with traction detachments, retinal breaks, and diabetic retinopathy (hazard ratios, 2.39, 2.48, and 4.13, respectively). The risk was even higher for severe and early-onset preeclampsia compared with mild or late-onset preeclampsia.

"Preeclampsia, particularly severe or early-onset preeclampsia, is associated with an increased risk of maternal retinal disease in the decades after pregnancy," the authors write.